Rioja
Rioja is a Dominion colony world located in the DRH 01 Relay, near the mouth of an FTL trade lane known as the Smuggler's Run. It is the outermost planet in its system. When discovered it was a near near habitable world which required several decades of terraforming work to render it livable. At some point before the Warlords campaign one of the world's small moons were redirected into the surface rendering it uninhabitable. Attempts by several Houses to restore its terraforming proved to be too expensive due to economic down turn. It was eventually acquired from the ailing House Posat by House Jerik-Dremine . As of 4030 the largest landowner on the planet is Baron Sonia Reynard who was made Baron of the planet following the enforced merger of House Erid into Jerik-Dremine. In the 4040's work began on terraforming a second planet in the Rioja system named Kavos. Notable Features (1) Mons Abyla A plateau consisting primarily of the remains of one of Rioja's former moons, it's cratered surface is easily visible from even high orbit. Most of Mons Abyla reaches up to altitudes well clear of the thicker parts of the atmosphere. There have been several proposals for the construction of bases or spaceports since its formation. Previous Houses have been concerned the plateau's thin atmosphere might allow treaty legal nuclear strikes. (2) Southern Wastes A polar desert, the region is known to be mineral rich. Once the site of a shallow ocean, early terraformers soon realised the water could be put to better use elsewhere on the planet. A series of simple barriers known as the Southern Walls were constructed along with basic pumping stations to help divert water from the region. With sunlight too weak to support agriculture and plentiful resources it makes the region ideal for an industrial site. Ruins of destroyed factory and mining complexes still dot the wastes. All but a few have been stripped of usable equipment. (3) Southern Walls Built to assist with draining the southern ocean, the Southern Walls primarily exist to block the only major waterway that connected both oceans. Most of the "walls" were hastily erected, using transports to dump loose fill left over from other stripmining operations. Once in place the completed walls were heated with fusion torches to bind them in place. In addition to the walls themselves some rivers were routed underground via tunnels. While the first walls were built to redirect flows into the main ocean, a second set was constructed to act as reservoirs for purified water. They could also act as a backup should the first set of walls be compromised by attack. (4) Mines The heaviest concentration of Rioja's mining operations were located at a particular latitude within the Southern Wastes. Most early sites were opened within range of short distance cargo haulers operating from the Southern Walls. It's believed the latitude choice was a result of the permafrost line once terraforming had neared completion. (5) Northern Plains The prime agricultural regions of the planet, the Northern Plains will require little extra work to become productive. Environmental damage and decay in the region was less than others but habitats will still require serious repairs or replacement. (6) Badlands An area known for it's canyons and rock formations a result of intense erosion, the region is largely a desert. Even with terraforming reestablished there is little that will grow in the immediate area. Minimal value aside from tourism. (7) Peremptory Sea An area that once was an exclusive resort for the nobility of several Houses and wealthy pleasure seekers. The resort eventually became a target for kidnappings and raiders, driving away customers years before Rioja was again rendered uninhabitable. Since it's resettlement surveyors have discovered valuable mineral deposits beneath the seabed. Despite this the Governor chose to allocat funding to reopen the resort. (8) Strymon City (9) Barkhan (10) Garzweiler / South City Cities and Settlements Rioja's primary spaceport and the main colony development area is located approximately 3000km due west of Mons Abyla. Current plans are to focus efforts on the larger peninsula establishing cities and agriculture sufficient to support expansion across the rest of the planet. Construction of a spaceport is scheduled to begin soon on Sonia's land to the north, across the ocean from the current settlement. Taking suggestions for city/settlement names. -"Reynard Rioja Settlement" Strymon or North City (120m) -New Capital (8m)(Needs name) -Rioja City (100m) (Main population center before establishment of North City) -Garzweiler or South City (25m) -Spiral City (Mid-East watershed) (25 million planned) System & Planets Parent Star: A5 V White Main Sequence (Rioja) #Inner Asteroid Belt AKA The Hot Belt #Rocky planet (Uninhabitable) 1.08G (Relocated to outer system, 4041-42)(Rioja Secundus) #Outer Asteroid Belt #Large Ringed Jovian 9.43 G (Mining expensive!!) #Rioja (Prime) 10.25 AU / Kavos (Rioja Secundus) #Numerous small Ice Dwarfs #Gateway station (Above the plane of the system) (Outer system refugee processing facility) Notable Persons Fadila Saqqaf Female Lead diplomatic advisor Lord Caratacus Friduman Vanderwal Male Rioja Spymaster Planetary Governor Chide Dlam'ard Dro'all Diplomacy: High Buracracy: Moderate Military: Low Assistant Planetary Governor: Tamoren Balle Female Diplomacy: Low to Moderate (improving) Buracracy: High Military: High Regent (4035-4039): Verilis Rah'ne Lord Talik Pryas Dro'all House Ber'helum Ambassador Lord Compton Human House Kharbos Ambassador Lord Xebaim Dro'all House Nirium Ambassador ??? House Helios Ambassador Military Baron Viscount Sonia Reynard Comand Staff: -Verilis Rah'ne or Hera Boosalis, (Wing Commander) -Wiremu Tama, Admiral (Starfighter / Fleet) -Uyi Rna, Army General(Lightning Offensive) - Knight Lyas Cinayk, Lunar fleet base garrison Wing Commander Katherine Drake, Wing Commander (Assault CRV) (Mixed Attack)(4031-4035) Knight Commander Nel'odym, Wing Commander (4035-4041) Fleet special forces Marines (lots) Hard Plate Armor (primary body armor) Marine grade vacuum rated body armor (Reserve) Army Total Force Strength: 1.6 million (4040) Special Forces 2x Heavy PA 6-7x Med Jump Jet PA x 400/900x Power Cell Armor 20/500x L Power Cell Armor Hard Plate Armor (500k troops equipped)(+150k per year) Marine grade vacuum rated body armor (Basic) Small Arms: Mass Driver Rifles (Reynard M / L) Phase Rifles Shallan Fusion Gun Fusion Blaster (Permitted as part of personal arms upgrade program) Variable Plasma Rifle (Special forces or personal arms upgrade) Fixed Defenses And orbital craft Surakeh Plus Orbital Platform 1 (formerly Modular Station 1) 20x LD Plasma cannon platforms (Range boosted) 8x Medium Plasma cannon platforms Surakeh Plus Orbital Platform 2 (formerly Modular Station 2) 20x LD Plasma cannon platforms (Range boosted) 8x Medium Plasma cannon platforms Rioja Lunar Facility Alpha (Fortified manufacturing facility) Multiple planetary shield generators Multiple Siege weapon mounts 3x Planetary defense missile batteries 20x Medium plasma cannon turrets 40x LD plasma cannon Turrets 4x Torpedo batteries 40x Heavy phase cannon turrets 60x phase cannon turrets Rioja Lunar Facility Beta (Large contained fleet dock with 1x heavy cruiser berth) Multiple planetary shield generators Multiple Siege weapon mounts 3x Planetary defense missile batteries 20x Medium plasma cannon turrets 40x LD plasma cannon Turrets 4x Torpedo batteries 40x Heavy phase cannon turrets 60x phase cannon turrets Refugee Processing Facility (Outer System) 5x Smuggler's Run medium defense platform Defense stations. (Capable of holding off a medium cruiser effectively indefinitely.) 8x Medium Plasma cannon platforms 32x LD Plasma cannon platforms (Range boosted) Additional Resources PDF Starfighters, LST's, system patrol craft and 4 Knight class Light Cruisers that were converted to be sold to the PCCG as patrol ships. 800,000 troops ? Marine grade vacuum rated body armor Fleet (Named Vessels) Outer Heaven - Neeran Fast Medium ??? - "Nautilus" Type Neeran Fast Medium Derringer - Quattro Discussion for Development Small Buisness Development Bank: Provides average matching funds for small business start ups, to help develop the local economy. Asteroid Fortress. Because they're awesome. Asteroid Space Station Infrastructure and Planning: Let's do this right and get the infrastructure planned out and then build the cities around that. Incentives: Offer incentives for people to move there in addition to refugees. Propaganda: Since we're expecting a large influx of mixed race/faction refugees, it might be pertinent to step up the Dominion propaganda a bit heavier. Offer promotions, positions, fame & fortune. Show the populace that moving up in the dominion (however unlikely) is possible. Orbital shipyards: Need to ensure that our planet is the powerhouse of the entire area. Remaining moons: Potential fleet bases or manufacturing centers for products that would have a negative impact on Rioja's environment? Engineering schools and a university or tech institute: Lets us train the next generation of engineers and scientists for House J-D and Reynard Solutions. Could also be used to foster good relations with other Houses and Factions through exchange programmes. Research institute: Could work well with the Engineer school and university idea where we could offer scholarships to exceptional individuals at the university, or to those that wants to join the university, and in return they then come to work for us. Governing Bunker: An excessively deep and excessively armored bunker for Sonia and trusted members of the governing planetary body to command from in a time of war. Lots of defenses. Lots. RIOJA DUSTBOWL CHALLENGE: Teams from local engineering businesses, industrial companies, and more importantly education facilities are invited to build a vehicle which can cross the entire Badlands in a race setting. The course should stretch over some of the roughest terrain, and be as long as possible. Local security forces play the role of raiders, their goal is to disable the contestants vehicles (but not outright harm them), a team is only considered out when they radio for pickup. Could encourage some teams to bring their entire engineering crew to fix any damage on the fly. Most importantly, it's not a race, but more of a survival challenge. Also since some of the teams are likely to get clever and start building aerial vehicles with repulsors, there should be the occasional SAM site that fires EMP missiles or something. Redwood trees: It wouldn't be a proper House Jerik-Dremine colony without these. Place a powerful long range sensor array. Should make it difficult/impossible to slip an attack force past the planet, and guarantees that even if you pull it off your supply lines will be swiftly cut, making our planet the gateway to the smugglers run. Dome Farms: With Rioja's atmosphere incomplete and an influx of refugees, the planet will need to increase (or potentially start!) procuding food for the population. Working with say Rufario's parents or other parties involved in the terraforming, it may be possible to set up physical or energy domes (preferably a mix, especially where people may live on the farms) to allow farms to begin operation. This could potentially turn a nice profit and aid in the defense of the world if a siege occurred or supplies were cut off. It may also allow for a few 'luxury' farms to begin setting up operations that may need years to grow, while producing basic crops in the near term. (orchards, wineries, and any other crop that may require a plant to reach maturity after several years) It may even be possible to actually aid the Terraforming effort or improve conditions for farming in the surrounding land by having isolated but functional ecosystems taking root. Standard Citizen Device: A small device, like a smartphone or ebook, given to every citizen wishing to settle on Rioja. It holds a link to Rioja's central computer system, contains all the necessary information about the planet, the cities, and most importantly, The Dominion. Sort of like a 40k STC, except not nearly as comprehensive and meant more as a tool for the citizenry. Allows searching for other refugees, emergency messages to be broadcast by authorities, control over various systems (eg appliances and other amenities inside accommodations). Can also supply interactive education materials since actual schools will take time to be set up. 'Funding:' Financial assistance / Incentives 10m maximum for companies (+ buyout contract) Full size Spaceport value (Centralized location dividing civil and dinsustrial districts.) Infrastructure improvements, link to main colony 5m Start up funds for infrastructure development co (24m Con yard+6m Misc& Consultants) Multiple Industrial Factory start up mi Stasis field generators: >10-12 Chemical plants to make solvents: >5 Metal refineries: >5 Reactor fabrication: >10-12 Microprocessors: >10-12 Food processing: >5 Armored vac suits: >5 Display/Holo: >5 Superconductors: >5 Repulsor: >10 Starfighter factory m (10+4m License) Z5W Interceptor Alliance FOB underground base + Shipyard, Mons Abyla 190m (70+120m) Smog management 24m Sensors = 3m Atmo. Containment field/shield = 15m (If buying a new one) Atmosperic Processors x3 = 6m Total= 433-439 million (Pre-4033) 4033 -Economic Stimulus to boost Rioja's economy following invasion and blockades of 4033: "several hundred million" Funding Early 4034 -Economic Stimulus 300 million -Reynard Heavy Industry (RHI) Startup 120m -Holographics factory 12m -Holographic Cooling system lines 40m -Repair existing + build 2nd moon as fleet base (1 Billion - 404 million from allies =596m) -1.5m Halide movie industry, The Purge (financial thriller) Tax Spending 4040? 2.1B profit from deployment (4041 liberation of Piynus) -250m Troop bonuses -500m replacement ground vehicles -150m H power armor -50m Flight packs -200m Occupation platform -60 million medical systems +??m profits from starship sales -12m drop pods for Remaining = 778m Terraforming Status Rioja shortly after it came under the control of Baron Sonia Reynard. Worldbuilding Ideas Wide roads that can quickly and easily be converted to emergency runways/landing sites for LSTs and starfighters. Frequent Aurora Borealis Common dry lightning from all the dust in the atmosphere creating mass amounts of static electricity. Also really big storms when the atmosphere becomes humid enough. Rioja's oceans and lakes are incredibly deep, otherwise they'd have ceased to exist long ago thanks to the frequent dust storms currently plaguing the planet. -''Deep below the surface of Riojas oceans they wait. A thousand thousand years they have waited for their time to rise.'' Micrometeor showers. They do practically nothing but look visually pleasing in the night. A very planned nature to the city layout leading to a few places looking similar, but also easy to navigate. Lots of tunnels that the military/civilians can use in the event of attacks and dust storms, makes it difficult for invading forces. Trivia * First encountered Thread 26 Category:Planet Category:House Jerik-Dremine Category:Territory